Kessler Foundation visits Community Options, Inc. Transitions Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton.
Hamilton, New Jersey, March 10, 2009: The Kessler Foundation took time out on February 26, 2009 to visit the Community Options, Inc. School to Employment Program (STEP) for Youth with Developmental Disabilities at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, New Jersey. On February 18, 2009, the STEP program began at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Hamilton, and employees of the hospital welcomed their new employees with open arms.
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, the largest and most comprehensive medical rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey, now operates as a for-profit institution, while Kessler Foundation maintains its charitable role as supporter of the non-profit Kessler Foundation Research Center and other entities dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Kessler Foundation Research Center’s laboratories collaborate with Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation ensuring that research projects prioritize the needs of people undergoing rehabilitation for physical disabilities.
Community Options selected RWJ Hamilton as a S.T.E.P. sponsor because of the hospital’s long- standing leadership role in the community and its “commitment to quality services, integrity, compassion and respect.” Students selected for participation in the program are at least 16 years of age, have the desire to work in a healthcare setting, and have appropriate social and communication skills. To learn more about Community Options and the STEP Program, please visit us on our website at www.comop.org or call us at 609-951-9900
Back Row: Elaine E. Katz (Vice- President of Grant Programs and Special Initiatives; Kessler Foundation), David Inverso (student), Adam Sanders (Employment Specialist), Ashley Metcalf (Employment Specialist), Carley Pogorzelski (Project Developer), Rodger DeRose (CEO and President; Kessler Foundation) Front Row: Erin Lerner (Employment Specialist), Gema Martinez (student), Ashley Peters (student)